2015-06-29 Forks 101 RV Park, Forks, WA

On Friday, the 26th, we left the Elks Lodge in Hoquiam, WA, and drove 103 miles north to the Forks 101 RV Park in Forks, WA. . On the way, we drove past the viewpoint for the Destruction Island Lighthouse, but could not see it due to the fog along the coast. It had been clear and sunny along 101 until we were close to the beach, and it turned clear again just a few miles north.

 

On Saturday the 27th we stopped at the Visitor’s Center to sign up for a 3 hour Wednesday tour of a lumber operation. It was full, but they said it was clear along the coast. So, we drove south to Ruby Beach. The beach and viewpoint were clear, so we got our picture of the Destruction Island Lighthouse. . We then stopped to see  former The Big Cedar Tree. It must have really been large. .

 

Today. after stopping at the Visitor Center , we hiked a couple of the trails at the HOH Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park. The Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Hemlock, ferns and moss were outstanding.

 

Hugs, and type at you later.

2015-06-25 First RV Park Review Written, 1 Star

I just finished publishing my first ever RV park review, and it was a one star. I guess I will have to write a good review of some other park. However, the review deserves space in my blog also.

 

Willamette Wine Country RV Park Cheats its customers.

This is a nice looking RV park. We checked in on June 9, 2015. Our only complaint is with their staff. The old adage “Buyer Beware” applies here. They cheat their customers. Their website states that they give a discount of “pay for 6 nights and receive one night free”. They also offer a 10 percent Good Sam Discount. We checked in and received a Good Sam discount. Upon setting up, my wife said we paid too much. We were charged for 7 nights at the Good Sam rate. This even exceeded the pay for 6 and receive on night free at their normal daily rate. The clerk said it couldn’t happen because the computer automatically calculates the best discounted rate. It took some math on paper to convince the clerk that we were overcharged, but she said she would have her manager issue a refund. Two days later, the manager said she had issued a refund to our credit card. It has now been three weeks, and no refund has been received. Our neighbor in the park said they had done the same thing to him, charging 7 nights at the daily rate instead of giving one night free.

So again, buyer beware. If you go to this park, compute how much you will owe before you pay.

This is the first time I have been cheated by a campground in over 30 years of camping.

 

Type at you later.

2015-06-25 Hoquiam Elks Lodge, Hoquiam, WA

On Sunday, the 21st we drove back down US 101 a short ways to Munson Creek Falls. . We tasted cheese and wine at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. . It is just down the road from the Tillamook Cheese Factory where we tasted more cheese, and had a dish of ice cream. For Father’s Day dinner, Marilyn took me to Roseanna’s Café. We also had wonderful phone calls from our children.

On Monday, the 22nd, we left Netarts Bay RV Park, and moved the house 149 miles to the Hoquiam Elks Lodge in Hoquiam, Washington. . We had to wait for a traffic jam on the Astoria bridge due to construction. . There was even traffic on the Columbia River. .

On Tuesday, the 23rd, we drove to Westport, WA to see the Grays Harbor Lightship. . We walked around the harbor, Marilyn bought some Rockfish for her dinner, but we could only look at the Maritime Museum from the outside. .

Yesterday, the 24th, we drove North on US 101 to the Quinault Lake Loop in the Olympic National Park. . The Merriman Falls provided a great view. . We took the long way back to the Elks via WA 109..

 

Type at you later.

2015-06-19 Netarts Bay RV Park

Yesterday, we went to the Tillamook. Oregon Pioneer Museum. . It was one of the best historical museums we have been to. It is housed on 3 floors of the old Tillamook County Courthouse. There are wonderful collections of artifacts depicting life in Tillamook since Europeans arrived plus some of the tribal history. Even the photos of pioneers are identified. After a couple of hours at the museum, we went out to the Tillamook Cheese Factory to see how cheese was made before tastings, ice cream and shopping in the gift shop.

 

This morning we drove the Three Capes Scenic Tour. The scenery was beautiful along Cape Lookout, Cape Kiwanda. After which it was time for lunch at The Schooner on Netarts Bay. . Marilyn thoroughly enjoyed he Fried Oysters, . My half pound Waki-Waki burger with fried egg and bacon was delicious. . After the lunch we drove to Cape Meares, the third of the three capes. There we saw the Cape Meares Lighthouse, the shortest on the Oregon coast,  and the Octopus Tree. .

 

Type at you later.

2015-06-16 Netarts Bay RV Park, Tillamook, OR.

On Sunday, the 14th, we went back to the Evergreen Aviation Museum to see the planes parked outside the buildings. Evergreen Aviation was a freight outfit flying 747s, etc. They parked this 747 on top of the Water Park building. It even looks like they run the water slides through the plane. . Marilyn’s father was a Metallurgist for Republic Aviation on Long Island. One of the planes he tested the metal in was the F-105. So we had to take a picture of her in front of one. .

 

Yesterday, the 15th, we moved the house 77 miles back to the Pacific Coast. We are parked at Netarts Bay RV Park, near Tillamook, Oregon. .

 

This morning, we drove the Jeep 50 miles north to Oregon’s Ecola State Park to see Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. . We think we have now seen every lighthouse in Oregon. Of course, we did not see all of them on this trip. We saw most of them in 2004.

 

Type at you later.

2015-06-13 Willamette Wine Country RV Park, Dayton, OR.

Thursday, the 11th, we drove in to Portland to pick up the rest of Marilyn’s Rx refills at the Care Plus Pharmacy which is the only pharmacy that fills CVS prescriptions in Oregon. After lunch, we drove to Oregon City to the “End of the Oregon Trail” Museum. The museum is designed to make you think of a wagon train. They provide a great explanation of the problems faced by the pioneers that made the trip from Independence, MO to Oregon City. Next, we drove out to see the Willamette Falls, which they claim is second to Niagara Falls, but we were disappointed in the available view points.

 

Friday, we spent the day at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, which displays Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose, in McMinnville, OR. . The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is contained in 3 large buildings. The Aviation building houses the Spruce Goose and other vintage aircraft from a model of the Wright Flier to fighter aircraft. The Space Museum contains history boards of space flight, some models, an F-15, and an SR-71. The 3rd building has a theater where we saw a National Geographic movie entitled Living in the Age of Airplanes. There are also many aircraft around the grounds. While this museum is not as large as that at Wright-Patterson Air Base, it is very well done, and the docents are extremely knowledgeable. Take a guided tour when you are in the area. You will be extremely pleased.

 

Over 90 percent of the Spruce Goose was built out of plywood. Hughes was not allowed to use aluminum due to the needs of WW II. It is so large, that I had to use “panorama” mode to take its picture. . Everyone gets to see the massiveness of the interior of the Spruce Goose, but have to pay extra to sit in the cockpit (we did not see the cockpit). These are the interior shots. . I had to use a panorama shot for the SR-71, also. . There is so much to see, that we think they should have a 2 day ticket. But, we will go back tomorrow to see all of the planes that are on the grounds.

 

Hugs, and Type at You Later.

2015-06-09 Willamette Wine Country RV Park

Yesterday, we left Lincoln City, OR, and drove 64 miles to the Willamette Wine Country RV Park in Dayton, OR.

We needed to go to Portland to get Marilyn’s meds from CarePlus Pharmacy. There are no CVS Pharmacies in Oregon and Washington, but CarePlus is able to process CVS prescriptions.

 

Of course leaving the coast meant that the temperature is in the 90s. Our rear A/C started dripping water on the bed. It had done this once before, so we started looking for an RV Tech. When I explained the problem, “That Trailer Guy” said he knew what the problem was, and had a tech that was between appointments and could be sent right over. A lot of leaves were dug out of the A/C pan, and we had no leak in the morning. We went shopping, and when the A/C was restarted it dripped some water. After it cycled the drip stopped. It may not be totally fixed because no water drips out of the back of the RV.hall see tomorrow.

 

Hugs, and Type at you later.

2015-06-07 Coyote Rock RV Park & Marina, Lincoln City, OR

This is a nice little Passport America park on the Siletz River. We came in last Monday, and will leave tomorrow.

 

In Depoe Bay we saw the back of a gray whale a couple of times.

 

We shopped in Lincoln City.

 

Friday turned out foggy. We drove south to Newport, OR, where walked part of the Bay Front. The barking of these Sea Lions told us which building to walk behind in order to see them.   After lunch we drove to Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, which sits up on a hill. . We drove North out of Newport to see the Yaquina Head Lighthouse. The fog was getting thicker, and even the birds were hard to see. .

 

This morning began as a nice sunny day, so we headed back South on US 101, and stopped in Depoe Bay looking for whales, but none were visible. Continuing South, we were able to get better pictures of Yaquina Head Lighthouse, the harbor seals and some Murres. .

 

We bought gas in Newport for USD $2.99, then headed North back to the house. We did make another stop in Depoe Bay so I could buy Starfish shaped opal necklace that Marilyn had admired.

 

Hugs, and type at you later.